Just one post today, but it’s a big one. Mecum’s biggest auction of the year is coming up in two weeks, and I already know several of you will be going there. (Maybe you want to drop a comment if you’ll be there and meet up with other readers?) There’s going to be a shit-ton of bikes (my unit of measurement for 750), many with no reserve. With that in mind, it was painfully difficult to limit this post to my favorite 5, so I didn’t. Here’s my favorite 25, with the caveat that I like bikes which are unique even if they might not be great motorcycles to ride.
Note: Here’s Mecum’s list of main attractions, 5 absolutely excellent bikes that I won’t cover because they’re too obvious. I instead spent all my time looking through the remaining 745 to highlight some true oddballs. Here we go…
2009 Bimota DB7 Oronero – If the regular DB7 somehow wasn’t cool enough for you, the Oronero goes fully carbon fiber for you. Check out this Cycle World article for more information.
1970 Norton Commando Production Racer – A former personal ride of Ron Fratturelli, this was recently restored to concours condition. Comes with the rare optional Quaife 5-speed transmission and is claimed to be one of the finest Production Racers in the world.
1920 Scott Squirrel – Scott’s first sporting model, this was a water-cooled two stroke that’s had an older restoration.
1929 Scott Flying Squirrel Racer – For more on the Flying Squirrel, check out this write-up on Motorcycle Classics.
1968 Egli-Vincent Tourer – This beauty comes with panniers and the rear top box.
2003 Vertemati 600 – Highly aggressive supermoto that’s apparently made almost entirely out of billet alloy, with WP suspension front and rear. Click here to go to the company’s official site.
1910 CCM Light Weight– made by Canada Cycle and Motor, just 4 of these bikes are known to exist. The wheel rims are made out of Canadian Maple, and the engine is a 227cc single. It weighed 75 pounds and the original MSRP was $225.
Possibly my favorite bike available, the Butler & Smith BMW R75/5 F750 Racer – one of just two built. FOr more, check out this article preview from Motorcycle Classics.
1966 Arlen Ness Luxury Liner – An Arlen Ness original, this won 1st place in the Dresser Class at the 5th Annual Exceptional Children Foundation Beach Ride.
1947 Gilera Saturno San Remo – colloquially known as the Milano Manx, the Saturn was given the San Remo name after it won San Remo 5 straight years. This is the racing model, and it’s had a professional restoration. For more on the Saturno, check out this write-up from Hemmings.
1912 Flanders Single – This is a multiple event winner that features a 4 horsepower, 495cc four-stroke single. Flanders was based out of Detroit, and they offered this bike for $175 MSRP, significantly less than their competition.
1977 MV Agusta 850SS – Considered to be the last of the original MV’s, it produced 85 horsepower and was capable of hitting 140 miles per hour. For more on the 850SS, check out this article from Motorcycle Classics.
2009 Roehr 1250S – one of the ten ever built and the two in the US.
1956 IFA BK350 with Sidecar – The bike itself is quite interesting, as it was the most successful two-stroke boxer twin ever – check out this article on Hooniverse for more details. But none of that matters today. LOOK AT THE SIDECAR! I’m in love.
1923 Hirsch Berlin – This restored bike is claimed to be the only surviving example.
1976 Captain America Yamaha TT500 – From the 1979 Captain America movie, this Yamaha TT500 has custom fiberglass bodywork that turned into the steed of an action hero.
What’s that, you say? You want to see this bike in action? I thought you’d never ask:
Captain America (1979) – Motorcycle Scene by Internapse
1925 NUT V-Twin – This British firm was named after the location of its headquarters, Newcastle Upon Tyne. Incorpoated in 1912, it went out of business in 1933. This example was restored and looks beautiful.
2007 Victory Vegas Custom Show Bike – Built by Shawn Ruddy, this won Top Custom Bagger at the 2011 Rats Hole Competition, and the 2012 AMA Concours D’ Elegance. It apparently took $150k and 1,000 hours over 3 years to build.
1958 BSA Gold Star – this Goldie has been modified with a Clubman gas tank, Evan Wilcox Norton style screen and more to turn it into a beautiful road racer.
1974 John Player Special Norton Commando. This is a one owner original example with low miles – and I will never get over how odd but charming the fairing is on this bike.
2006 Bimota Tesi 2D – One of the coolest front suspensions ever.
1978 Harley-Davidson FLH Electra Glide – This is a brand new, still on the factory pallet 75th Anniversary Harley.
1903 Rex Belt Drive – This is an unrestored example of a 344cc single that produced 2.25 horsepower.
1982 “Narley” Featherbed. This bike features a 1000cc Sportster engine inside a Norton Manx frame, complete with Trackmaster triple trees and the front forks from a Suzuki SV650.
And lastly, because I don’t know how to take myself seriously, here’s a Ducati that’s cheap to ride – just 25 cents a pop. Modeled after Nicky Hayden’s MotoGP bike, this Ducati “Kiddie Ride” has been fully restored with an airbrushed paint job.
If any of you buy a bike here I’d love to hear about it, so please drop me a line!